Hub bearing grease?

i had been faithfull when it comes to inspecting and repacking my trailer bearings. i guess, ive been lacking since i installed bubby bearing do-hickeys, this morning after pulling my hubs, the grease was a milky lite white. i am going to replace the sets of bearings , races and seals. should i ditch the buddy bearing do-hickeys? was this the cause of my grease failure? thanks, charlie

Buddy bearings are great but use the wheel bearing grease from your local boat shop that is a marine grade. Even though you use buddy bearings, you still need to repack the bearings on a regular basis and that depends on how often you launch your boat, several times a year means repacking them at least once a year. Thats just my honest opinion and thats what I do to my trailer. Try the marine grade grease and good quality seals.
I hope this answers some questions for you.

I've used buddy bearings probably for 25 to 30 years... all my axle grease was white looking...I thought that was just normal...I'd pump more grease into the hub and forget about it until the next time I pulled maintenance. Never had one of my bearings to fail.. other people's have but not mine.

Also before you replace bearings... clean them up and inspect them.. they may be fine and you'd just be waisting money buying new... just my humble opinion:crying:

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...but, even if the bearings are good, always replace the seals with good quality seals; they're your first line of defense. Most auto parts stores don't carry the best. You'll likely do better to get them from a marine dealer. I prefer the rubber coated vs plain metal, since I'm near salt water, and a double lip seal will do a better job of keeping water out and grease in.

thanks for the tips......i went to a boat dealer and bought new seals, bearings and races. i also got marine grade grease. the job went fine with no problems what so ever.....thanks again for the help......charlie r

I would agree that the seals probably failed. Any imperfection in the spindle will destroy a seal pretty quickly. I had this problem with mine after installing the Bearing Buddy's. I bought the Bearing Buddy spindle seals which are neoprene and have a stainless sleeve that fits on the spindle for a smooth sealing surface. I did have to grind a slight amount off of the castle nut in order to put the cotter pin back in without overtightening but no problems since. Here is a link to the Bearing Buddy website and to their spindle seals.

i'll try to explain what to check for and how to repack your bearings......jack up and secure yor boat trailer with jack stands...remove tire...take off grease cap. remove cotter key.....remove hex nut(shouldnt be that tight) remove washer.....remove outer bearing.....remove hub to get to first bearing......use a punch to "knock out" the inter bearing, doing this your seal will also come out(i suggest relacing the seal even if it looks fine) remember which bearing goes where, because the bearing is "mated" with its race. clean bearings(i use gas in a bucket with a parts brush) after cleaning let dry and check them for any wear or flat spots by spinning them. if ok repack with a marine grade grease. check races for any cracks or nicks. check hub for same. if all is ok, assemble. i like to put some grease in the hub too...when tighten uo the hex nut.....put it tight while spining hub. tighten to set bearings into there races then back off hex nut until it lines up with cotter key hole. after you finished and with the tires on the ground....try to shake your tire back and froth...you should have no more then a 1/64th(a very miniscule) bit of play. after a few miles check to see if all is ok and not over heating. jack and jack stand, lug wrench, hammer, pliers,punch and grease. sorry i thought you asked how to do it not what you need charlie r

I think the problem that caused the white milky color was your seals not the Bearing Buddy!!!You still have to grease them to push out the water that gets into the hub, the Bearing Buddy is just a spring loaded cap that holds pressure on the grease to help keep water out. If you seal goes out the BB pushes the grease out through the seal and is no longer an effective device. If you change the seals they will work again.

Never mix types of grease, some will react in ways not conductive to good towing. If your eating seals then check for rusted/marred surfaces and polish with some mechanics tape. I buy marine grease by the case so I dont have to remember which one I bought last time. Also if the bearings are not damaged/rusted I would not be scared to reuse them. That milky is just water whiped grease. Clean, repack and reassemble. Repack carefully and completely. Nothing works as well as the palm of your hand for packing bearings. I am anal and pack them twice in my hand before reassembling the unit. Also replace the cotter pin. They are cheap and the cost of one breaking and the hub working loose doesnt make sense. Bearing buddies are great. Dont pump grease into them untill you see it come out. When the spring starts to compress stop. I have had bearings last for years and even decades with some maintenance.

Keep this place in mind for future referencehttp://www.championtrailers.com/
You have the right idea on keeping on the upkeep of your trailer dude ; most people fail to realize that your trailer is what takes your boat to the lake in the first place. Like the other guys said, get the double edged lipped seals, well worth the investment, they last alot longer. And if you have the time and money, get a spindle-through axle. You can replace your axle through the website listed. If you plan on keeping your boat for a while, I highly recommend it dude. Preventive maintenance. Throw away the bearing buddies, they are just another problem waiting to happen. Talk to the people at Champion Trailers and get their advise, it is well worth it man. I have a spindle-through the hub design on my tracker trailstar trailer and it is so amazing dude. I trailer my boat alot, 10,000 miles a year, and that design is the way to go.